Is Monogamy Dead?

Monogamy. A great topic for a stand-up comedy show, don’t you think? Rosie Wilby certainly thinks so, as that’s what prompted her to create “Is Monogamy Dead?”, a show about relationships, sex and infidelity. Not only is it based on observation and anecdotes, but there’s also some actual survey data in there… plus, Rosie once did a show called “The Science of Sex”, so this is kinda her thing. Interested? Here’s a bit more info on the show:

Prompted by the breakdown of several close friends’ long term partnerships, disgruntled serial monogamist Rosie Wilby presents a loose sequel to her Fringe Report Award winning 2009/10 show The Science Of Sex (which she recently performed in New York) after making a pact with her best friend that they are going to become ‘sex sirens’ in their early 40s – whatever that means. She sets off to investigate age-old conflicts between freedom and commitment and unexpectedly encounters blackbird vasectomies, unicorns, marmosets, giant Malagasy jumping rats, lollipop ladies, George Michael, Juliette Binoche and Jean Paul Sartre whilst also wondering if fairies have feet and if gay marriage means that she will have to take up dusting.

She also presents the results of her anonymous online survey on fidelity (and worries about the woman who included Joan Of Arc and Margaret Thatcher on her fantasy shag list) and her own Family Fortunes-esque quiz to ponder what actually counts as infidelity*, whether any of us agree on this and what other secrets monogamous couples keep from one another.** Plus her disastrous attempt to find some sexual misadventure at a supposedly erotic ‘lesbian sauna’ (everyone ended up chatting and cleaning) and a dash of sensual cereal eating to test out abstinence advocate John Harvey Kellogg’s theory that a balanced diet including cornflakes would reduce sexual feelings.

* 7 out of 100 people said that merely thinking about somebody else would be cheating. How would you police this??
** 12 out of 100 people admitted to giving themselves the best portion of food.

Rosie has also invented a few new phrases that didn’t make it into the show, but which might give you a taster of her sense of humour. Mahoganous adj. When your relationship has become wooden and you need to shake things up. Monogamush adj. What your mind turns to when you’ve been in a monogamous relationship for 4 and a half years (in no way similar to the length of Rosie’s previous relationship). Break Up Energy n. Akin to New Relationship Energy. The adrenalin of a break up means that, even when heartbroken, we can blossom and have a renewed sexual energy and zest for life.

An enhanced performance of Rosie’s show – with a post-show panel discussion exploring open relationships, polyamory and other forms of nonmonogamy and their viabiliy – will be taking place at Canada Water Culture Space, Canada Water Library, 21 Surrey Quays Road, London SE16 7AR on Friday 28th February 2014. Tickets cost £10 (£8 concessions) and are available now. Also, if you’re interested in being on the panel for the discussion, let me know and I can put you in touch with Rosie.

Image via rosiewilby.com